Officers receive bravery awards for dramatic river rescue

TWO police officers have received bravery awards for going to the aid of two women whose car was submerged in the Tweed River.

Sergeant Christopher York from Ballina and Senior Constable Patrick Raftery from Murwillumbah were recognised on Thursday for their bravery by the Royal Humane Society of NSW.

They were acknowledged for their actions in the rescue of two women from a submerged motor vehicle at Condong on September 23, 2016.

A motor vehicle was accidentally driven into the Tweed River on the Tweed Valley Way at Condong. It became submerged, trapping the driver and her passenger.

Their citation read: "Senior Constable Raftery attended and entered the river to rescue them. Sergeant York, who was off duty, came across the incident and entered the river to assist. The water was murky and cold and there was significant danger of the vehicle sliding deeper into the river further endangering the officers' lives".

They removed the two women from the submerged vehicle. The driver had suffered minor injuries. CPR was performed on the passenger who later died in hospital.

The police officers were among 36 people to be acknowledged by the society's patron, the Governor of NSW, David Hurley, at Government House.

The awards recognise people who put their lives at risk to save someone in immediate danger.